page_title: Writer's Digest
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Writer's Digest / History
caption_attribution_description: The "Faulkner portable": American novelist William Faulkner’s (1897-1962) Underwood Universal Portable typewriter, resting on a tiny desk his stepson helped him build. This space at Rowan Oak, the author's home, was part of the back porch until Faulkner spent part of a Random House advance to enclose it in 1952, long after he had written his seminal Compson and Sartoris family novels. He insisted that this room not be called his "study." According to biographer Joseph Blotner, "he did not study in it, so there was no sense in calling it that. It was the 'office,' the traditional name for the room in the plantation houses where the business was transacted." As to the typewriter itself, Underwood introduced its Universal Portable in the mid-l930's among a full line of portables such as Champion, Noiseless Portable and Junior. Faulkner had a habit of buying used portables locally, wearing them out, then trading them in on more used portables. This Underwood was one of at least three typewriters in Faulkner`s possession at the time of his death (the University of Virginia has one, too). So, this is no more "the" typewriter any more than those square carpenter`s pencils next to it are "the" pencils. Had Faulkner lived a few more years, this machine would have met the same fate as the rest. Still, the room has a resonance. BOOK magazine was publishing an article of mine on "Yoknapatourism," and thinking (mistakenly) that the editors hadn`t already selected a photographer, I returned to Oxford on a rainy October afternoon to make my own pictures for submission. The travel piece was eventually illustrated with sunny-day brochure shots, but I was happy to keep this one for myself. There was no direct lighting within the office, so I let the film take its time, soaking up faint incandescent glow from the library and main hallway, which neatly balanced the cloudy daylight. I used the camera`s timer so my hand wouldn't jostle the tripod, and I even backed out of the room--in part to let the scarce light do its work and, I think, because I wanted Faulkner`s office truly vacant. Trivia: the book next to the typewriter is the 1939 edition of Writer's Market. Thanks to Bill Griffith, curator of Rowan Oak, for letting me past the Lucite wall and to Milly Moorhead West for lending me the tripod. - Gary Bridgman
context_page_description: Writer's Digest is an American magazine aimed at beginning and established writers. It contains interviews, market listings, calls for manuscripts, and how-to articles.
context_section_description: Writer's Digest was established in 1920 under the name Successful Writing, first issue, December. It changed name to Writer's Digest with the March 1921 issue. By the late 1920s, it shifted emphasis more from literary-quality writing to the rapidly growing pulp magazine field, which offered the widest opportunities to freelance writers. An important feature from 1933 forward was the New York Market Letter, edited by Harriet Bradfield, which gave timely updates on editor needs in the magazine field. As the pulp field collapsed in the 1950s, Writer's Digest shifted emphasis to famous writers and quality fiction.
  Until 2019, it was owned by F+W Media. The magazine is published eight times per year.
  F+W Media, facing near-term liquidity issues with only about $2.5 million in cash available and $105.2 million in outstanding debt, filed on 10 Mar 19  for protection under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy code, citing in various documents a perfect storm of secular industry decline, poor investments, and even mismanagement.
  Apparently their attempts to transition focus to online from print sales was poorly done.  Their users forum had not worked well for some time,  and the number of users had dropped way down from previous times.
  Writer's Digest was bought by the Active Interest Media subsidiary of Cruz Bay Publishing  and/or  PRH  (Penguin Random House) after bankruptcy of F+W, according to various sources. Penguin Random House acquired the book publishing assets of F+W Media, which include the Writer's Digest catalog. Cruz Bay got several magazines from F+W, including Writer's Digest, for $200,000, beating out enthusiast publisher Madavor Media.
  Writer's Digest also sponsors several in-house contests annually, including the Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards and their Annual Writing Competition for short stories.
  Writer's Digest partnered with book publisher BookBaby, the sister company of CD Baby, in August 2014, to create a self-publishing division called Blue Ash Publishing, to provide instruction and education alongside book publishing and printing services. Blue Ash Publishing takes its name from the home office of the Writer’s Digest editorial team located in Blue Ash, Ohio.
  Paid circulation 63000 per 2017 media kit, down from 69000 in the 2016 media kit.
caption: A copy of the 1939 edition of Writer's Market, published by Writer's Digest Books rests next to William Faulkner's Underwood Universal Portable typewriter in his office at his home, Rowan Oak, which is now maintained by the University of Mississippi in Oxford as a museum.
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